Crisis in our backyard - Secularism, the way it was, the way it is...

By Abhishek Joshi :

Secularity as practice and Secular being in approach has ancient linkages to our glorious past where the concept of “Sarv Dharam Sambhav” has been enshrined in the sociological fabric of our nation. The term “secular” was incorporated in our Constitution to effectively weave this fabric closer and achieve plurality in our new system which would form the foundation of our governance, with boundaries only set in from geographical perspective. Self engineering of this concept however now sadly reflects just a symbolic expression in the Constitution. The warmth of this spirit of secularity in Bhartiye background is missing. It doesn’t lead our nation of multiple diversity to achieve its place in the new millennia. The society and polity is shattered with a dichotomy of principles suiting individual interest and definition of secularism has been distorted. The important issues which succumb immediately at the altar are religion, policies emanating from religious practices, professing faith. It has also divided politics on the basis of majority & minority. The function of the state to maintain its neutrality is compromised when the governance policies midwife the decisions to breach the sanctity of constitutional norms, and its Secular credentials.

Such a distortion in the field of politics influences the policy formation process. This process does not take into account the fact that Bhartiye nation and society a great civilizational past which is embedded in “Sarv Dharm Sambhavah”. The holier than thou attitude of the policy makers looks down upon the matters of faith, religious convictions. The policies tend to push the people to a corner as if, practicing their own believes is anti-secular and it tends to tilt the balance of democracy on the count of majority, minority differences. The tenants of coexistence are solidarity, reciprocity and respect towards and between religious communities however when the sole intention of democratic might rests in achieving the capture of policy formation, the power to rule and effect, it ruptures this togetherness of the system. Resultantly the grave aspect of divisive polices is carried under the umbrella of secularity and in being seen and called as Secular. This being the issue, maters of faith is compromised in favour of one section of the society and derives a dubious connotation with regard to fearness of the policies. This is when “special temporary status” accorded to Jammu & Kashmir, based on ethnicity, linguistics and demography as a result of political brow beating by a section of society is atrocious when it is justified in the name of secularism and is unheard not traded back by more than 250 year in the past history.

The charade of the symbolism of “secular” identity as a cap has been worn so many times by various political parties that it now has lost its shape happened with regard to egalitarian concept of Socialism. And it has been carried as a fruitless appendage all these years of our nation’s existence. The socialism propounded by Nehru and according temporary status to the State of Jammu & Kashmir, under Article 370 has had its own momentum. Even until last week we had the far outcry of providing “autonomy” to the State. Left to bleed, an entire population separated on religious basis though dubbed as majority in the country, the Hindu Kashmiri’s trying to find their own place under the sovereignty of the constitution have been forced to demand the homeland for themselves within their own country.

This philosophy carried by the largest tenure rule of the Congress led government has inflicted wounds on the basis of discrimination, appeasement, and policies favouring one over the other. Irony is that such discriminatory politics has the sanction of secular stamping though this smacks of sharply divisive methodology. The governments led by other political parties with an eye on minority votes have followed suit. This has generated a psychology of statelessness in the majority community.

Anything which supposedly hurts the sentiments of the minority community has been pushed aside, looked away and ignored, even if the constitutional obligation is being compromised. The state is willing to accept back the bravery medals awarded to the security personnel who defended the terrorist attack on the parliament shamelessly, yet is not willing to hang Afzal Guru who has been strictured by the Hon. Supreme Court under a death sentence. The ruling coalition thinks that by moving ahead with Afzal’s execution, they might lose the minority votes. In the other monumental case of Mumbai 26/11 some 35 Crores of tax payers largesse has been spent to in name of “protecting” single evidence of Pakistan’s role in this terrorist attack and is well kept after, whereas Sadhvi Pragya Thakur had to conduct a fast unto death to allow her to practice her religion and maintain her dignity. She was offered ‘omlette’ for breakfast and was refused food sance onions and garlics. This type of Secularity has come to bred contempt on the basic fundamental laws of the constitution and just tends to over ride on shallow assumptions.

So much so that drawn solely on aspect of singularity, a Uniform Civil Code is not acceptable; neither is the law applicable to every citizen, since they tend to interfere in the religious practice and is superseded by the supreme law, with its own independent interpretation and boundaries. Hon Supreme Court had to intervene and advise the coalition government bringing its attention to parallel Sharia Courts which are running in states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The government under the pressure of All India Muslim Personal Law Board has not even responded to these observations buckling again as was the case when the Hon Supreme Court had passed judgement in the noted Shah Bano Case.

Religious tolerance is only implied if you could share your aspect of religious chauvinism and surrender or abjure your belief for the good of the other but reciprocity of that, or even demanding the similar response in return is being dubbed as communal.

On such a sensitive issue like Shri Ram Janm Bhoomi / Babri structure truth has been sacrificed at the altar of distorted secularism. Even the Union Governments, Archaeological surveys have proved that there was indeed a temple beneath over which Babri structure was built. But despite such concrete evidences this issue is being used to exploit the secular / communal sensitivities. If the archaeological evidences were the basic requirement for solving Shri Ram Janm Bhoomi or more such issues then in Kashi (Varanasi) anybody can see the evidence on the walls of Gyanvapi Masjid today which speaks volumes of destruction of Kashi Vishwanath Mandir in the Mughal period. The Nandi of Kashi Vishwanath Mandir is facing Grabh Griha of Gyanvapi Masjid. Had the intention of the political class being honest on the issue of “Sarv Dharam Sambhavah / Secularism, Kashi Vishwanath issue could have been solved just after independence like Somnath.

Even on Shri Ram Setu, the government shamelessly had to beat a hasty embarrassing retreat in front of Hon. Supreme Court by having filed a affidavit mentioning Shri Ram’s existence as a simple mythological character. This same government came to the rescue of Muslim sentiments when the Danish Cartoon fiasco erupted in the country. This is a follow on scores of such instances stored in the recent past including Taslima Nasrin, banning of book by Salman Rushdie and preferential treatment to M.F.Hussain in the defence of Secularism.

The fact that there are more than 2 Crores of Bangladeshi infiltrators enjoying the rights of Citizenship in Bharat and ever continuing change in demographic profile of the border States has been addressed by the political class which reminds of Ostrich like stance ignoring the impending danger to sovernieghty of the country. Governments have feigned ignorance about huge amount of money being spent in proselytisation. Skewed arrangement of subsides for pilgrimage has been favoured by other minority communities as well. The demands of special status and powers to be accorded, self rule demands are constantly changing the paradigm of the country. The secular constitution was supposed to essentially protect the rights of the citizen and their equality and respect without any discrimination based either on religious, linguistic, regional or caste-creed basis.

The nation and its citizens have come closer to being concerned about the nefarious game played to suit perverted interest of this formation. Nations Youth especially today believes in finding its own ground and temperament which resonate with the ecology, temperament of the Nation and its Nationalism. It today implies to have its moorings in the glorious past of our cultural social diversity yet keeping itself high with blend of true “secularity” of absorbing, other faiths and practices and to be called as its own. This to mean, ethos’s which do not suite the tenants of our governance, policies or socio-political themes would necessary need to be changed or found alternatives. It has come to fore that all the political parties do not have the will to effect these socio-economical-cultural change. A New breed of volunteers need to come forward. Realizing the true aspect of our nationalism, with spring of enthusiasm to ensure no one is discriminated against any basis of caste, creed or religion. But to realize the vision with Nationalism at its core with an objective to stitch this shattered fabric of “secularity” in its truest sense and Bhartiye form.

The problem of national integration, social cohesiveness has been universal problem and flash points of tensions in many parts of the world. The democratic set up of America has its own share of problems, so France as well, Germany is no exception where infiltrators of Turkey are playing havoc with social harmony of Germans Society. At one time melting part theory was promoted as a way out for social integration of African-American and Hispanic, Asian communities along with Anglo-Saxon majority. This theory did not pay results, American establishment has now formulated a salad bowl theory for social integration. In this theory the different section are expected to have their separate identities intact but will share a common vision of America which would be essentially Anglo-Saxon.

In Bharat the responsibility of Youth is to forge the society in which thousands of years of historical past, pains and pleasures are shared by the entirety of the population. A common aspiration of strengthening Bhartiye brand of secularism is the challenge before the youth in which the history doesn’t stop in the past of 2000 years but pierces deep into the civilizational shared heritage of more than 10,000 years. The common bond of identity with the past transcending the mode of worship is the desired direction for stable cohesive, integrated Bhartiye society.